schwennicke



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(N0 Model.)

C. SGHWBNNICKB. yEIJZGIRIG SIGNAL DEVICE.

' Patented Aug. 22, 1893.

A OBA/Ey.v

(No M'd'el.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

o. SGHWBNNICKE. ELECTRIC SIGNAL DEVICE.

INVENTUR Y BY l I y v i y v ATToRjvEy UNTTED STATES PATENT EErcE.

CARL SOHWENNICKE, OF BERLIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO SIEMENS t HALSKE, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC SIGNAL DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent- No. 503,709, dated August 22, I1893.

Application letl March 30, 1893. Serial No. 46 8,336. (No model.) Y

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CARL SGHWENNICKE, a subject of the King of Prussia, GermanEmperor, residing at the city of Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electric Signal Devices,of which the following is a speciication.

My invention relates to electric signaling devices or apparatus adapted for giving a variety of signals by the aid of a rotating toothed wheel acting with an adjustable electrically connected contact lever.

In prior devices of this character, the parts have been arranged within their protecting casing in a manner not allowing easy accessibility for examination or adjustment.

My invention has for its chief object to construct and relatively combine or arrange the parts of a signal device of this character in such manner as shall provide for ready accessibility to all its parts, both mechanical and electrical, to facilitate examination, adjustments or repairs.

The invention will' first be described and then will be particularly defined in claims hereinafter set forth.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which similar numerals indicate like parts in the several views.

Figure l is a front or outside elevation of my improved electric signaling device. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the rear or inner face of the cover and attached parts. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the main body of the casing and contained parts, the cover being removed. Fig. 4 is a side view, partly in vertical'section, on the line 05,00, in Fig. l. Fig. 5 isa detail sectional plan view, taken on the line y y, in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a detail plan View, taken on the line z a', in Fig. 3, and Figs. 7 and 8 are diagrams of the electric circuits.

The box or casing of the signaling device comprises a body portion 1, a removable front lid or cover 2, and a back plate 3, which also may be and preferably is removable. Within the box is placed revolubly upon a transverse shaft 4, a wheel 5 having varying circumferential series of signalgiving teeth or prominences 6, and adapted for rotation in one direction, by means of a crank 7, which is fixed to the shaft 4. This shaft also has fixed to it a grooved pulley 8, to which is connected one end of a cord 9, which runs over a guide pulley 10, held at the top of the box, and thence to a weight ll, moving in a vertical groove or slideway provided between flanges l2, l2, and the rear wall or plate 3 of the box.

The signal wheel 5'is preferably made hollow and within its periphery is fixed one end of a curved spring 13, the other end of which normally stands off from the periphery. A stud 14 is xed to the cord pulley 8, and as said pulley is turned to the right hand one complete revolution, the stud will press the free end of the spring 13 outward to the wheel periphery and pass by the spring. A stop l5, which is pivoted for horizontal movement inside the box or casing, protrudes' through a slot 16 of the front cover plate 2, and is actuated to the right and left hand by the crank 7, to adjust the stud 14 relatively with the signal Wheel spring 13, as hereinafter more fully explained. A train of gear wheels 17, one of which is connected with the wheel 5, also rotates a iiy or fan 18 which is journaledin the box above the wheel and properly retards rotation of the wheel when it is actuated by the falling weight 1l.

A lever 18 made of suitable non-conducting material carries a lower trip plate 19, adapted for action by the signal wheel teeth or projections 6. This lever 18 may move laterally along and rock upon a transverse shaft 20, which is held to suitable bearings on the cover 2. At its upper end the lever carries a metallic contact plate 21, which projects upward between two laterally ranging metallic contact rods or shafts 22, 23, which are sustained by metal end bearings 24, 25, which are xed to a non-conducting plate 26, fastened to the cover 2.

The contact rod 22 is supported at or from the bearing 25 by an insulation 27, and has electric connection with the other bearing 24 and through the latter and a wire 28, with thebinding post 29; and the contact rod 23 has a support at or from the bearing 24 in an insulation 30, but has electric connection with the other bearing 25, and through it by a wire y ries the lever 18, contacts 21, 22, 23, 35, 36, and their adjustingmechanism, the entire electriv metal conducting plate 36, to vnormally hold,- the lever contact 21 to the rod contact .22, and

this plate 36 is fastened to an insulating plate 37, fixed to the front cover 2 of the casing. A wire 438 electrically connects the plate 36with the other binding post 39. 21 thus is in constant electrical connection With the binding post 39 at any lateral adjustment of the contact, and a suitable resist? ance coil or device 40, by its terminal wires 41 is adapted to be switched into circuit va, the binding posts 29, 39. It will be noticed that these two binding posts, as also the resistance coil 40, are all held to the cover or 'lid 2 of thecasing l, and as this lid also car.-

cal portionsof the instrument, aside from the signal wheel 5, are held to the cover and are removable therewith to give free access espe.- i

cially to the electrical devices and also to all other parts of the instrument.

'The contact lever 18 may be adjusted lat` erally-on the rod 20, to adapt its plate 19 to be ytripped by any circumferential series of? signal wheel detents 6, by means of a hand lever 42, which Vis outside .the box or casing and is pinned at 43 yto a short shaft 44, which y is journaledin the box cover 2, and at its inner end vcarries a tappet arm 45, the upper forked endof which straddles a pin 46, fixed j, to lthe lever 18, and whereby as the outside lever-42 is rocked to one side or the other, the .v arm 45 4will shi-ft the contact lever 18 corre? spondingly to ca-use its plate 19 ltoengage any I desi-red circumferential ser-ies of the signal wheel detents to give the required signal. A spring 47 behind the lever 42, and preferably held toit, gives trictlonalcontact with the box i cover 2,--and also holds a stud 48 on the lever' into any one of a series of recesses 49, madeI in the cover. Seven recesses 49 are shownin the drawings to correspond with a like number of diiferent signals which maybe given by the wheel 5: An indicator plate 50, fixed to the front of the box cover and bearing numerals or oth er characters, identifying the different signals, serves as a .gage to set the lever 42 at the proper place to cause the required signalto be given.

The operation of the device is as follows: When the weight 11 has run down after hav.-

, ing given one full turn toward the left hand of the signal wheel 5, to cause sounding ofone particular bell signal, the crank 7 will have thrown the pivoted stop 15 over to the right hand .end of the box slot 16, and to the normal position shown in Fig. 4 and in full lines in Fig. 6 of the drawings. To adjust the parts forgiving the next signal, thefront lever .42 will be shifted .to the desired yrecess or notch 49l to cause the inner tappet arm 45 to shift The lever contact 15 and move it over to the dotted position shown in Fig. 6, and until it strikes the left hand end of the box cover slot 16, when the stud 14 on the pulley 8 will have passed by the free end of the signal wheel spring 13, whereupon the spring will jump behind the stud ready to engage it as soon as the hand crank 7 is released. This righthand .motion of the ferank winds .the cord .9, on the pulley 8, and thereby lifts the weight 11 which, after the crank 7*- is released, falls gradually, under control of` the gearing 17, and retarding fan 18, and causes the .signal wheel 5 to turn once around to the lefthand and, by its teeth or prominences `6, to .actuate the contact leverv 18, 19, 21, to complete electric circuits to the bell or other signal, .and as this left hand rotation is completed, the hand crank 7, which had been turned around by and with the wheel 5, will again strike vthe stop 15, and move 'it back .again to the first .described position, or that .shown in Fig. 4, and vin full lines in Fig. 6 of the drawings. The stop 15 thus limits the rotation of the hand crank in both directions and also gages the setting of the .pulleystud 14 relatively to the free .end .ofthe signal wheel spring 13, to assure turningof the wheel. to the .left hand as the'weight 11 falls. One signal wheel 5 may be removed and another wheel, having different signal ygiving detents,1nay be substituted for it, as may be necessary.

With reference to .diagrammatic Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawings, a briefexplanation only is necessarv to illustrate afew uses .of .the above described signaling devices. In Fig. 7, the line wire 51 runs from the binding post -129 to the battery 53, and the wire 52 runs from the binding post 39 to the battery 54, and the line wire 3.4 is' grounded between the grounded terminals .of the batteries 5.3, 54, and the resistance40 is employed, this being for an arrangement when .two battery currents are opposed in an open circuit. In Fig. 8, the ground wire connection from the contact 23, and also the resistance 40, are omitted and the arrangement is .for use. with a single battery current in a closed circuit. With the circuits of Fig. 7, the currents from the batteries 5.3, .54 will oppose each other, and solong as the contact 21 of lever 8 is against the contact rod 22, the bells 55 in the two circuits will not ring, but should lever 8 be actuated by the signal wheel 5, to cause intermittent4 engagements of the contacts.2l, 23, the currentsfrom both batterieswill run to ground through the -wire 34, and all the bells would ring. Should the circuit from either battery be broken by a key, or otherwise, the bells of the other circuit will IOC ring. With the continuous closed circuit of Fig. 8, when the contacts 21, 22 are engaged as shown, the bells 55 are arranged not to ring, but when the contacts 21,23 are engaged by action ofthe signal wheel 5, the bells will ring. Should the circuit be broken, the bells would be inoperative.

I claim as my invention- 1. An electric signaling device, comprising a casing, a signal Wheel and mechanism rotating it located within the body of the casin g, laterally ranging contacts on the casing cover and independent. of the signal Wheel, a contact lever also on the cover and movable bodily and laterally thereon and along said contacts, and electrical connections to said contacts, substantially as described.

2. An electric signaling device, comprising a casing, a signal wheel and mechanism rotating it located within the body of the casing; and a laterally adjustable Contact lever for the signal wheel and laterally ranging contacts for said lever comprising two opposing insulated rods and a third insulated contact plate held to the removable cover of the casing; and electrical connections to said laterally ranging contacts, substantially as described.

An electric signaling device having a casing containing a signal wheel, mechanism rotating the wheel, and electrical connections held to the removable cover of the casing and comprising a laterally adjustable contact lever adapted to the signal wheel, two opposing insulated contact rods and a third insulated contact plate for said lever, two line wire binding posts, and wires leading therefrom to one of two opposing rod contacts and to the third contact plate, substantially as described.

4. An electric signaling device having a casing containing a signal wheel, mechanism rotating the wheel, and electrical connections held to the removable cover of the casing and comprising a laterally adjustable contact lever adapted to the signal wheel, two opposing insulated contact rods and a third insulated contact plate for said lever, two line wire bind.- ing posts, wires leading therefrom to one of the two opposing rod contacts and to the third contact plate, and wire connections to the other contact rod for a ground circuit, substantially as described.

5. An electric signaling device having a casing containing a signal wheel, mechanism rotating the wheel, and electrical connections held to the removable cover of the casing and comprising a laterally adjustable contact lever adapted to the signal wheel, two opposing insulated contact rods and a third insulated contact plate for said lever, twoline wire binding posts, wires leading therefrom to one of the two opposing rod contacts and to the third contact plate, wire connections to the other contact rod for a ground circuit, and a resistance wired to the two line wire binding posts, substantially as described.

6. The combination, in an electric signaling device, of a signal wheel having circumferential series of signaling detents, mechanism rotating the wheel, and electrical connections comprising a laterallyadj ustablecontact lever adapted to the wheel detents, two opposing insulated contact rods and a third insulated contact plate for said lever, two line wire binding posts and Wires leading therefrom to one of the two opposing rod contacts and to the third contact plate, substantially as described.

7. The combination, in an electric signaling device, of a signal wheel having circumferential series of signaling detents, mechanism rotating the wheel, and electrical connections comprisingalaterallyadj ustable contact lever adapted to the wheel detents, two opposing insulated contact rods and a third insulated contact plate for said lever, two line wire binding posts, wires leading therefrom to one of the two opposing rod contacts and to the third contact plate, and wire connections from the other contact rod to a ground circuit, substantially as described.

8. The combination, in an electric signaling device, of a signal wheel having circumferential series of detents, mechanism rotating the wheel, and electrical connections comprising a laterally adjustable contact lever adapted to the wheel detents, two opposing insulated contact rods and a third insulated contact plate for said lever, two -line wire binding posts, wires leading therefrom to one of the two opposing rod contacts and to the third contact plate, wire connections from the other contact rod to a ground circuit, and a resistance wired to the two line wire binding posts,` substantially as described.

`9. The combination in a signaling device, of a signal Wheel 5, having a spring 13, and circumferential series of detents adapted to a lever, retarding mechanism geared with the wheel, a drum or pulley having a stud 14, adapted to the spring 13, and mechanism turning the drum in opposite directions, substantially as described.

10. The combination, in a signaling device, of a signal Wheel 5, having a spring 13, and circumferential series of detents adapted to a lever, a drum or pulley having a stud 14 adapted to the spring 13, mechanism automatically turning the Wheel in one direction, a crank 7 on the drum or pulley, and a pivoted stop 15 to which the crank is adapted, substantially as described.

l1. The combination, in a signaling device, of a shaft 4, a' signal wheel 5 loose thereon and having circumferential series of detents and a spring 13, retarding mechanism 17, 18 geared with the Wheel, a pulley 8 having a stud 14 adapted to the spring 13, a cord and weight 9, 11, connected to the pulley, a crank 7, on the shaft 4, and a pivoted stop 15 to which the crank is adapted, substantially as described.

12. In an electric signaling device, the combination with a signal wheel, of a lever 18, of insulating material and carrying metallic con- IOO i bination With a signal Wheel, of a lever'18, of

insulating material and carrying metallic contacts 19, 2l, 35, two opposing insulated contact rods 22, 23, an insulated contact plate 36, two line Wire binding posts 29, 39, a Wire 28,

connectingthe contact 22 and post 29, a Wire 38, connecting the contact 36 and post 39, a ground circuit Wire 34, connected to the rod contact 23, and aresistance Wired to the posts 29, 39, substantially as described.

14. In an electric signaling device, the combination with a casing, a signal Wheel and mechanism rot-ating it held within the body portion of the casing; and alat-erally movable contact lever for the signal Wheel and laterally ranging contacts for said lever held to the removable cover of the casing, of a hand lever held to and outside the casing cover, and an arrn connected t0 said hand lever and engaging theA interior contact lever t0 adjustv the'latt-er from outside the casing, substanally ranging contacts for said lever held t0 the removablecover of thel casing, of a'hand lever outside the casing formed as a pointer and engaging the contact lever to adjust the lever from outside the casing, and an index plate on the casing to which the pointer on the lever is adapted'to i-ndicatethe position of the contact lever relatively to the signal Wheel, substantially as described.

16. In an electric signaling device, the combination With the casing and a laterally Inovable contact lever therein having a pin 46, a shaft 44, an exterior lever 42 pivoted to the shaft and having a stud 48, adapted to a serries of recesses 49 in the casing, and an interior arm on the shaft 44, engaging the conu tact lever pin 46, substantially as described.

17. In an electric signaling device,..the combination With the casing and a laterally movable contact lever therein having a pin 46, a shaft 44, an exterior lever 42 pivoted t0 the shaft and having an index pointer and a stud 48, adapted to a series of recesses in the casing, an interior arm 45 on the shaft 44, engaging the contact lever pin 46, and an index plate 50 on the casing, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

yGfns'intvA STARZEL, MAX. WAGNER. 

